Dayton’s i3 Center Renovatons

“Learning to do, doing to learn, earning to live, living to serve.” Mural by Morelia Abrego

Students at Dayton are reinventing their own educational experiences with exciting new resources from the i3 Center. Because of these upgrades, the building has become an area full of interesting student projects and inspired learning.

Dayton School District has been using their funds from the CTE Revitalization grant awarded by the Oregon Department of Education, to renovate the i3 Center. They are upgrading their technical equipment to make CTE-type projects more accessible to students, as well as allow them a space in school to have complete creative freedom.

Right now, the i3 Center is actively integrating every area of the building. Design and art, engineering, construction, and agriculture. With new and improved resources, students are creating brilliant things in the i3 building while developing their own interests. Inside of the i3 Center, there are also new installations such as added windows and entrances to certain shops. This greater visibility is creating a more interconnected environment, for students to be able to comfortably expand their projects.

With new upgrades to their technology, Dayton was able to buy new drone kits, helping to incorporate agriculture into Innovations courses. These new resources have also given students the chance to work with Charlie Hascall, Dayton’s new mechanics expert, to create metal and wood art in a more hands-on environment. Alongside the metal and woodwork shops, a ceramics section was introduced for students this year as well.

With the new vinyl transfer, students have been printing quotes and graphics onto clothing, as well as making stickers. Along with that, 3D printers and photoshop applications have been installed for students to make models, as well as practice editing photos and videos.

These new additions to the i3 Center have prompted an amazing wave of student creativity, especially those interested in photography, art, media production, or engineering. Dayton is bringing career technical education to the school and, in turn, the students are piloting projects that weren’t ever thought possible.

Students at Dayton are currently in an educational environment where they don’t need to feel nervous about lacking project materials or feeling unequipped to take on roadblocks. Patrick Verdun, the Innovations teacher at Dayton, said: “More kids are being more efficient learners than ever before.” In the i3 Center, it is rare to see a student who is stagnant; caught in-between what is academically expected of them and what they genuinely want to do. Students are encouraged to think outside the box and expand on their project ideas using every resource available to them. This freedom is motivating students to effectively utilize their time in the building.

Dayton’s i3 Center stands for three crucial concepts: inspiration, innovation and invention. With these three fundamentals as the building’s foundation, the i3 Center has become a space for students to celebrate and pursue their ideas freely.